NEW YORK – New York state prosecutors dropped their case against Donald Trump on Monday after four days of testimony from their star witness, Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen, who says the former president was well aware of a hush-money cover-up. The defense portrays Cohen as a liar.
The criminal trial in Manhattan, the first ever against a former president, is now in its sixth week and was expected to lead to closing arguments on Tuesday. But New York Judge Juan Merchan indicated Monday that the trial would extend beyond Memorial Day.
In a long, at times snail-paced and disjointed cross-examination of Cohen on Monday, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche continued to press for evidence that would convince jurors that the former fixer could not be trusted.
At the heart of the prosecution’s argument is Cohen’s earlier statement that Trump reimbursed him for the costs a porn star paid for his silence before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump is accused of forging 11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 accounting entries as routine legal fees and not reimbursing hush money, a total of 34 felonies.
Trump denies any wrongdoing and claims he never had a sexual relationship with adult film actress and director Stormy Daniels. She said something different in excruciating and embarrassing details in early May.
Monday’s proceedings were filled with objections and technology questions and were capped by tense testimony from the second defense witness, Robert Costello, Cohen’s legal counsel, who promised Trump backdoor communications after Cohen came under the FBI’s thumb in 2018.
The day ended with a far-fetched but expected call from the defense to dismiss the case. Merchan dismissed the court, saying he would announce his decision on Tuesday. Even then, the defense is likely to rest its case.
Closing arguments are expected after the holiday.
On a trip’
Blanche began the day by questioning Cohen about his past business dealings, his income and the money he had earned since breaking off relations with the former president.
Cohen testified that he has made millions of dollars from his books “Disloyal” and “Revenge” and his podcast “Mea Culpa,” all of which are harsh criticisms of the man from whom he once expected praise, as he testified days earlier .
At Blanche’s suggestion, Cohen confirmed that he is considering a third book, has a television show in the works called “The Fixer,” and is considering running for Congress because he has “the most name recognition.”
When Blanche suggested that Cohen’s popularity depended on Trump, Cohen disagreed.
“I wouldn’t characterize it that way. I owe my notoriety to the journey I took,” said Cohen.
“Well, the journey you took… included daily attacks on Trump,” Blanche replied.
During Blanche’s questioning, Cohen again acknowledged his past crimes and also confessed to stealing $30,000 from the Trump Organization when Trump hesitated to pay a technology company to manipulate a CNBC poll of eminent businesspeople.
Minutes later, Blanche asked, “Do you have a financial interest in this case?”
“Yes, sir,” Cohen replied.
When Blanche pressed whether a guilty verdict was Cohen’s preferred outcome, Cohen replied, “The answer is no.” It’s better if it isn’t [guilty] For me, because it gives me more to talk about in the future.”
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger conducted her redirect at a immaculate and quick pace, walking Cohen through each of Blanche’s dubious lines of questioning to confirm to the jury Cohen’s testimony that Trump’s hand was behind the hush-money refunds.
“They asked you a lot of questions about how you made money and (your) podcast… Aside from financial matters, how has telling the truth affected your life?” Hoffinger asked.
“My entire life was turned upside down as a direct result,” Cohen replied.
Before the prosecution rested its case, the defense raised a lengthy objection to a still image from a C-SPAN video showing Trump with his bodyguard, Keith Schiller, shortly before 8 p.m. on October 24, 2016. The parties eventually agreed to admit it.
The evidence that Trump and Schiller were together that night is highly relevant to Cohen’s claim that he spoke to both of them on the phone about Daniels’ payout.
Trump’s support in the courtroom
Scores of prominent Republican supporters have rallied for the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
Supporters on Monday included Trump ally and lawyer Alan Dershowitz; legal counsel Boris Epshteyn, himself indicted in Arizona for attempting to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election; and Chuck Zito, an actor and one of the founders of the New York Hells Angels chapter in the 1980s.
Several Republican lawmakers, including vice presidential hopefuls, have done so flocked to Manhattan for the process.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator JD Vance of Ohio and former Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy attended the May 13 event. Senators Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama were also in attendance. appeared last week with Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird.
House Speaker Mike Johnson gave a speech outside the courthouse on May 14 in which he criticized the “sham trial” and accused New York prosecutors of simply trying to keep the former president away from the campaign trail.
The Louisiana Republican called Trump a victim of a “travesty of justice.”
Nearly a dozen far-right Republican House members showed up Thursday, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. Gaetz was joined by other right-wing members of the House Freedom Caucus: Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Waltz of Florida; Eli Crane and Andy Biggs of Arizona; Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Diana Harshbarger and Andy Ogles of Tennessee; Mike Cloud of Texas; and Chairman Bob Good of Virginia.
Gaetz speaks on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse described the prosecution as “Mr. “Potatohead Doll of Crimes” and accuses the public prosecutor of connecting things “that don’t belong together.”
Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida were in attendance earlier this week.
